From 14th December 2007, it will be a statutory requirement for all homes to have a Home Information Pack (HIP) before being put up for sale. The pack will contain important information that buyers and sellers need to know. It will include a rating of the home's energy efficiency, local searches and information on title that will help improve the home buying and selling process. Optional documents in the pack include the Home Condition Report which the government strongly encourages sellers to include.

For Sellers, providing a Pack up-front should mean that buyers are able to make better-informed decisions about buying your home, reducing the likelihood of nasty surprises coming up later in the process.

For buyers, the pack provides essential information about properties they are considering buying, and reduces the chance of unwanted problems later on in the transaction.

The cost of the HIP, without the Home Condition Report (HCR), is from £299 plus VAT.

Robinson Sherston, will be working with LMS, the preferred HIP supplier of the NAEA, to ensure that a HIP is obtained as quickly as possible once you have made a decision to sell. This can be as little as five to seven days.

Enquiries: If you would like to discuss any matter relating to the Home Information Pack then do please call Nick Sherston on 01491 614 000 or Giles Robinson on 01491 411 911.